These No Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bars are rich, fudgy, and coated in silky dairy-free chocolate ganache, more like dessert than anything you’d expect from a “healthy snack.” With just 6 simple ingredients and absolutely no nuts, they’re the kind of treat you’ll want to meal-prep every week so you always have something delicious waiting in the fridge.
"These protein bars are amazing! I love the plant-based flavor, the blend of protein powder, coconut, and cacao. The ganache takes it to the next level. Guilt free so I'll be making this regularly." - Rosa
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 30 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 5
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 229 kcals and 13 grams of protein
- 📋 Main Ingredients: Protein powder, coconut milk, cacao powder, honey, chocolate cips, and dairy-free milk.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, and can be made paleo.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Rich, indulgent, and with a mousse-like filling these nut-free protein bars are the perfect way to indulge a craving.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Sick of dry, chalky protein bars pretending to be dessert? If you love chocolate as much as I do, you want fuel and something that actually tastes amazing (this is the idea behind my Strong and Sweet Protein Guide!). This protein bar recipe without peanut butter nails it. They have a mousse-like, fudgy center covered in a thick layer of chocolate for a real double-chocolate hit.
As a busy mom, I stick to snacks I’m excited to eat, and these gluten-free protein bars curb cravings while keeping protein high (the Twix protein bars do the same). They’re now a weekly meal-prep staple right next to homemade chocolate protein pudding. Before you get started, learn everything you need to know about making homemade protein bars to guarantee a perfect batch every time.
Jump To
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- 💭Why You Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You Need
- Flavor Variations
- How To Make Chocolate Protein Bars Without Peanut Butter
- Expert Tips
- How To Store Them
- Chocolate Protein Bar Recipe No Peanut Butter FAQs
- More High-Protein Dessert-Like Snacks
- Double Chocolate Protein Bars Without Nuts
💭Why You Love This Recipe
Allergy-friendly: This chocolate protein bar recipe is made without nuts, dairy, gluten, or soy. So they're perfect for food allergies.
Easy to make: The hardest part of this recipe is coating the bars in chocolate ganache and waiting for them to set.
Minimal ingredients: The oriteub bars are made with gluten-free pantry staples most of us have on hand.
A rich treat: They taste more like dessert than they do a healthy snack, but they're still high in protein. Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet and why you want to amp it up!
Ingredients You Need
Most protein bars use sunflower seed butter and gluten-free certified oats for their base (kind of like in these chocolate-topped protein bars). However, these bars have a different twist.
- Protein powder: Originally made with vegan protein powder, you can use either vanilla or chocolate protein powder for the nut-free protein bars. However, the kind you choose will affect the texture and flavor. For best results, use a pea protein blend. I've recently started using bee protein which works as well with a few tweaks.
- Coconut milk: You want to use the coconut milk from a can and only the thick, white, creamy part for the recipe (drain the water).
- Cacao powder: This gives the bars a double chocolate flavor, plus you can reap some nutritional benefits from the cacao, learn more about cacao powder versus cocoa powder.
- Chocolate ganache: You need this dairy-free chocolate ganache to coat the protein bars and hold them together.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Cookie dough: In place of chocolate protein powder, use vanilla protein and add chocolate chips to the bars themselves.
White chocolate: If you tolerate dairy or can find dairy-free chocolate chips, use them to make the chocolate coating on top.
Toppings: Sprinkle candy canes, toasted coconut, or pecans on top of the chocolate ganache for extra crunch and indulgence.
You can also top the homemade protein bars without nuts with dairy-free caramel sauce with coconut milk, more chocolate ganache, or sea salt to make them even more like dessert.
How To Make Chocolate Protein Bars Without Peanut Butter
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chocolate ganache and mix well until everything looks sticky.
Step 2: Portion the protein bar mixture into a plastic-wrapped loaf pan and smooth it out before placing it in the freezer.
Step 3: Make the chocolate ganache by melting the ingredients and mixing until combined.
Step 4: Remove the nut-free protein bars from the freezer and slice them into portions.
Step 5: Dip each protein bar into the chocolate ganache.
Step 6: Return them to the freezer for at least thirty minutes.
Expert Tips
The texture of the bars will change depending on your protein. If your protein powder absorbs a lot and you notice the protein mixture is a little dry and crumbly, you'll want to add another tablespoon or two of coconut milk to the mixture.
The protein bars don’t hold together once thawed without the chocolate ganache on top so you can’t skip it.
Make sure that if you have a full tree nut allergy, you purchase ingredients specifically from a nut-free facility.
Botanica protein was used to create the recipe, and most pea-based proteins will work. If you want to use a beef-based protein powder (and make the bars paleo-friendly), which is what I switched to for health reasons, know two things:
- Paleo Pro protein can be interchanged directly into the recipe as it blends easily and is the cleanest protein I've ever found.
- Equip Protein is the best-tasting protein ever, but it creates a "stickier" texture, not mouse-like. To use this protein powder, scale back to 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, 1 tablespoon of honey, and ⅛ cup of cacao powder.
How To Store Them
Store the protein bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. They're best enjoyed out of the fridge.
Freeze the bars in an airtight container in pieces separated with parchment paper. To enjoy them, let them thaw in the fridge for four or more hours.
Chocolate Protein Bar Recipe No Peanut Butter FAQs
Homemade protein bars, when made with minimal sugars and no processed oils, can be a healthy addition to any diet and a tasty way to increase daily protein intake.
You can use sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter in homemade protein bar recipes. Or, use a combination of full-fat coconut milk and honey for a similar sticky, binding texture.
The chocolate protein bars will melt and have a sticky texture if sitting at room temperature. Though the chocolate exterior is slightly sticky on the outside, it does hold together well when chilled.
More High-Protein Dessert-Like Snacks
If you tried this Homemade Protein Bars Without Nuts Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Double Chocolate Protein Bars Without Nuts
Video
Ingredients
For The Bars
- ⅔ cup protein powder botanica, pea
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 5 tablespoons coconut milk thick white
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1.5 tablespoons hemp milk
For The Ganache
- ¼ cup Full-fat coconut milk
- ⅓ cup Mini chocolate chips
- 1 tbs Honey
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chocolate ganache and mix well until everything looks sticky.
- Portion the protein bar mixture into a plastic-wrapped loaf pan and smooth it out to about an inch thick before placing it in the freezer.
- Make the chocolate ganache by melting the ingredients and mixing until combined.
- Remove the nut-free protein bars from the freezer and slice them into portions.
- Dip each protein bar into the chocolate ganache and return them to the freezer for at least thirty minutes.
Notes
- Paleo Pro protein can be interchanged directly into the recipe as it blends easily and is the cleanest protein I've ever found.
- Equip Protein is the best-tasting protein ever, but it creates a "stickier" texture, not mouse-like. To use this protein powder, scale back to 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, 1 tablespoon of honey, and ⅛ cup of cacao powder.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Bobbi says
My family loved this!
Rosa says
These protein bars are amazing! I love the plant-based flavor, the blend of protein powder, coconut, and cacao. The ganache takes it to the next level. Guilt free so I'll be making this regularly.
fitasamamabear says
So happy you enjoy them! They're a favorite around here.
Shaye says
I'm obsessed with these protein bars. They're so deliciously chocolatey. Plus, they're nut-free, which is perfect for my allergies. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Chocolate is a life staple!
Lily says
OMG I'm so obsessed with these right now. I look forward to eating one after my workout each day. I thought I liked a number of well-known brand name protein bars, but now that I've made these I don't even want to go back to buying protein bars because they're so inferior. I also feel really good knowing and seeing exactly what goes into them.
fitasamamabear says
I'm chocolate obsessed so I feel yah lol
Freja says
I just made these to bring along on a trip, but we ate them all. Haha. I'll just have to make a double batch now! They're incredible. Thanks so much!
fitasamamabear says
Haha story of my life.
Nicole says
This is an awesome recipe. They have the perfect balance of sweetness and the texture is so nice - not chalky at all! I'll be making these on a regular basis. Thanks!
fitasamamabear says
Aw yay! Thanks so much for giving them a go!
Sonia says
These protein bars are my new addiction. This was so easy to make and I really love the mousse-like texture it has, it's not overly sweet and was so satisfying with every bite. I'll be making more of this for next week's post-workout snacks.
fitasamamabear says
Haha my new addiction too!
Clara says
Yes please! These protein bars were fantastic. I have been watching the girls at work eat these protein balls. I want to jump on the healthy band wagon with them, but they are just so chalky tasting to me and I can't get them down. These bars don't have that texture at all and they are so delicious. I took some to work yesterday and everyone wanted the recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Can't go wrong with protein + chocolate!
Jenna says
Chocolatey goodness without the guilt! This is my first time trying can't wait to do more 🙂
fitasamamabear says
The best combo lol
Joni says
The mousse-like filling is rich and satisfying, such a perfect guilt-free snack.Thanks for sharing.
fitasamamabear says
Yay!
Ellie says
These were EPIC! The picture had me sold because they looked exactly like the ones I buy at the store. But I will say these tasted a million times better and I liked how relaxing it was to be in the kitchen making them. Side note, I did not use hemp milk, I used flax seed milk. Came out great! Will make these again!
fitasamamabear says
Ohh noted on the flax milk- thanks for that! Glad you lvoed them, they're soooo easy to eat lol